BEIJING - China voiced its hope that the people who killed at least 12 Chinese sailors will be found as soon as possible and severely punished.

"The Chinese and Thai police are currently probing the case," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu at a regular press briefing.

Twelve Chinese sailors on two cargo ships were killed in an attack by unidentified armed people on October 5 on the Mekong River. One Chinese sailor is still missing.

"First of all, we hope that issues related to the sailors' deaths will be handled appropriately," Jiang said, calling for "an in-depth investigation to get to the bottom of the matter as soon as possible, and catch the assailants and punish them severely by law."

"Meanwhile, we also hope to conduct cooperation in law enforcement on the Mekong River to ensure security along the route," she said.

The Mekong River, known in China as the Lancang River, rises on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before spilling into the South China Sea. It plays a crucial economic role throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion.